Cardamom Banana Bread

This cardamom banana bread with a streusel topping is unbelievably delicious. It has warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom, tons of banana flavor, and a buttery streusel topping. The crunch of the streusel in contrast to the soft and tender bread is a texture explosion in your mouth.

Why you will love this cardamom banana bread

1. The flavors. Classic banana bread is amazing on its own because it is packed with banana flavor. But given it's the Fall season, I wanted to take it up a notch by adding warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom. These spices are present in both the bread and the streusel.
2. The textures. This banana bread is super tender and soft with a cake-like texture. It basically melts in your mouth. The streusel adds a little crunch to each and every bite. It is *mwah* chef's kiss.
3. It is so easy to make. This banana bread is made with simple ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen, and it comes together super quick!

Key ingredients

• All purpose flour: all purpose flour is the flour of choice for this cardamom banana bread. It makes for the perfect soft and tender crumb.
• Leavener: we use baking soda to give the banana bread that perfect rise.
• Spices: ground cinnamon and ground cardamom are used to add that Fall flavor and warmth to the bread.
• Unsalted butter: unsalted butter is the butter of choice so we can control exactly how much salt goes into the recipe.
• Sugar: granulated sugar is the sweetener in this recipe. We can also sprinkle the top of the banana bread with powdered sugar when it is out of the oven.
• Fats: the fats in this recipe are the eggs and the yogurt - they make this loaf super moist and soft.
• Bananas: of course! We need about 3 bananas to really pack in that banana flavor.

Steps

1. Make the streusel. Whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and cardamom. Pour in the melted butter and mix until it resembles wet sand.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom to a bowl and whisk until combined.
3. Beat wet ingredients. Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat. Then add the yogurt and mashed bananas and mix.
4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until a batter forms.
5. Bake. Pour the batter into a 9x5 inch loaf pan and top with the streusel. Bake at 350F for 60ish minutes.
6. Enjoy! Once cool, top with powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy!

FAQ

Why is my banana bread dry?

A dry banana bread could potentially be from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. 

A dry banana bread can also be from over baking. Just a few extra minutes in the oven can turn a soft and moist banana bread into a tough and dry one, so make sure to keep an eye on it. It is finished when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Why did my banana bread sink?

Banana breads can sink from over mixing the batter. Make sure to only mix your batter until the dry ingredients are JUST incorporated, not any longer. Additionally, an underbaked banana bread can sink, so make sure to bake it all the way through.

What type of bananas should I use?

The bananas should be very ripe, ideally with a bunch of black spots ALL over them. That is when the bananas are at their sweetest.

What type of yogurt should I use?

Honestly, any yogurt will work. I have tried greek, regular, non-fat, or full fat. They all turn out great. However, full fat yogurt probably yields the softest bread.

How do I store this?

Once completely cool, tightly wrap the loaf with cling wrap or put it in an airtight container. This banana bread can be stored at room temperature.

Baking in grams

While I provide volume measurements for the recipes on my blog, I highly suggest baking these recipes using weight. It is the most standardized and accurate way to bake. I carefully recipe test all of my recipes using a kitchen scale, not by using cups, and therefore I cannot guarantee the success of my recipes when using volume measurements.

Other recipes you may like

• Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese Frosting
• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Tried this recipe? Make sure to rate and review and tag @sturbridgebakery on Instagram!